Manually actuatable liquid dispensing razor

Abstract

The invention features a razor for dispensing a fluid during shaving. The razor includes a handle, a razor cartridge, and a fluid dispensing member joined to the cartridge. The handle includes a cavity for housing a fluid and a manually-actuated pump to displace the fluid from the cavity through a connector port flowpath to an opening at the proximal end of the handle. The razor cartridge includes a cartridge connecting structure attached to the housing and an aperture that extends from the rear surface to the front surface of the housing. The fluid dispensing member is disposed in the cartridge connecting structure and includes a converging flowpath that is in fluid communication with the connector port flowpath and the aperture in the housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wet shaving razor for dispensing a fluid during shaving, the razor comprising:
 (a) a handle having a length that extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the handle comprising:
 1) a reservoir for housing a fluid disposed within the handle, 
 2) a connector port disposed at the proximal end of the handle, the connector port comprising a connector port supply end opening and a connector port discharge end opening with a connector port flowpath therebetween, the connector port flowpath converging from the connector port supply end opening to the connector port discharge end opening, wherein the cross-section of the connector port flowpath decreases from the connector port supply end opening to the connector port discharge end opening, and 
 3) a manually-actuated pump located along the length of the handle, between the reservoir and the connector port, the manually actuated pump includes a first end connected to the reservoir and a second end connected to the connector port supply end opening, wherein the manually-actuated pump is in fluid communication with the reservoir and the connector port; and 
 
 (b) a razor cartridge comprising:
 1) a housing having a top portion, a bottom portion, a front surface and a rear surface, 
 2) a cartridge connecting structure attached to the rear surface of the housing, wherein the cartridge connecting structure engages the proximal end of the handle, 
 3) at least one blade positioned between the top portion and the bottom portion, 
 4) at least one aperture located between the top portion and the bottom portion that extend from the rear surface to the front surface, and 
 5) a fluid dispensing member joined to the cartridge connecting structure, the fluid dispensing member having at least one dispensing member flowpath with a dispensing member supply end opening and a dispensing member discharge end opening, the dispensing member discharge end opening is in fluid communication with the at least one aperture in the housing, wherein the dispensing member flowpath converges from the dispensing member supply end opening to the dispensing member discharge end opening such that the cross-section of the dispensing member flowpath decreases from the dispensing member supply end opening to the dispensing member discharge end opening, 
 
 wherein actuation of the pump displaces the fluid from the reservoir through the pump, the connector port, the dispensing member and at least one aperture to the front surface of the housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 1  wherein the cartridge connecting structure is pivotally attached to the rear surface of the housing. 
     
     
       3. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 2  and wherein the dispensing member discharge end opening includes beveled edges that interface with the at least one aperture in the housing to accommodate a pivot range of the housing. 
     
     
       4. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid dispensing member is integrally formed with the cartridge connecting structure. 
     
     
       5. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises a sachet of fluid. 
     
     
       6. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein the reservoir comprises a collapsible reservoir in a container. 
     
     
       7. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1 , wherein the razor cartridge further comprises a guard disposed at the front surface, the bottom portion of the housing. 
     
     
       8. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1 , wherein the razor cartridge further comprises a trough in the front surface of the housing wherein the trough is in fluid communication with the at least one aperture. 
     
     
       9. The wet shaving razor of  claim 8 , wherein the razor cartridge further comprises microcombs between the trough and the at least one blade, the microcombs comprising channels oriented at an angle to the at least one blade that evenly distribute fluid in front of the at least one blade. 
     
     
       10. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1 , wherein the razor cartridge is removably attached to the proximal end of the handle. 
     
     
       11. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 1  further comprising a lubricating strip disposed on the front surface, top portion of the housing. 
     
     
       12. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 11  wherein the lubricating strip contains an electrolyte. 
     
     
       13. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1  wherein the connector port comprises an exposed bottom that is translucent. 
     
     
       14. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a first connector having a first valve in fluid communication with the reservoir, a second connector having a second valve in fluid communication with the connector port supply end opening, and a resilient tube disposed between the first and second connectors, wherein the resilient tube has a neutral position with both valves closed and a second position wherein force is acted upon the resilient tube causing one valve to open and one valve to close causing the fluid to move from the reservoir, through the resilient tube, the connector port, the fluid dispensing member and the at least one aperture to the front surface of the housing. 
     
     
       15. The wet shaving razor of  claim 1 , wherein the connector port comprises a connector port supply end opening and two connector port discharge end openings with a connector port flowpath therebetween, the connector port flowpath comprising a supply end flowpath of constant cross-section leading to two discharge end flowpaths of converging cross-sections, wherein the cross-sections of the discharge end flowpaths decrease from the supply end flowpath to the two connector port discharge end openings and wherein the dispensing member supply end opening is in fluid communication with the two connector port discharge end openings when the cartridge connecting structure engages the proximal end of the handle. 
     
     
       16. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 1  wherein the fluid dispensing member has two dispensing member flowpaths with two dispensing member supply end openings and two dispensing member discharge end openings and at least two apertures are located between the top portion and the bottom portion of the housing that extend from the rear surface to the front surface, the two dispensing member discharge end openings are in fluid communication with the apertures in the housing, wherein the dispensing member flowpaths converge from the dispensing member supply end openings to the dispensing member discharge end openings such that the cross-sections of the dispensing member flowpaths decrease from the two dispensing member supply end openings to the two dispensing member discharge end openings. 
     
     
       17. The wet shaving razor according to  claim 16  wherein the dispensing member discharge end openings include beveled edges that interface with the apertures in the housing to accommodate a pivot range of the housing.